History
The BAE Systems Hawk is a British single-engine, advanced jet trainer. It first flew in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk. The Hawk is flown by the Royal Air Force, and the air forces of at least 15 other nations, as either a trainer or a low-cost combat aircraft -- it enjoys the same appeal in this vein as the American Northrop F-5. The Hawk is still in production with over 900 Hawks sold to 18 customers around the world.

In 1964 the Royal Air Force specified a requirement for a fast, new jet trainer to replace the Folland Gnat. The SEPECAT Jaguar was originally intended for this role, but the RAF soon realised that it would be too complex (translation, expensive) an aircraft for fast jet training, and only a small number of two-seat versions were purchased. Accordingly, in 1968, Hawker Siddeley Aviation (HSA) began studies for a simpler aircraft, initially as Special Project 117. The design team was led by Ralph Hooper. This project was funded by the company as a private venture, in anticipation of possible RAF interest. The design featured tandem seats and a combat capability in addition to training, as it was felt that this versatility would improve export sales potential. Through 1969 the project was first renamed P.1182, then HS.1182. By December 1969, HSA had submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Defence based on the design concept, and in early 1970 the RAF issued a new requirement for new trainers of this type. The RAF selected the HS.1182 for their requirement on October 1, 1971 and the principal contract, for 175 aircraft, was signed in March 1972.

Renamed "Hawk" following an employee naming competition (the name "Tercel", a male hawk, was the actual winning name, but the RAF preferred the more common and simpler name), the aircraft first flew on 21 August 1974. At the time, its main competitor was the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet; both types were intended for export. In 1977 Hawker Siddeley merged with other British aircraft companies to form the nationalised British Aerospace (BAe), which subsequently became BAE Systems upon merger with Marconi Electronic Systems in 1999.

The BAE Hawk is a tandem two-seat aircraft with a low-mounted wing and is powered by a non-augmented turbofan engine. The one-piece wing was designed to allow a wide landing gear track and to enable easier maintenance access. The wing is fitted with wide-span, double-slotted, trailing-edge flaps for low-speed performance and spoilers instead of ailerons for roll control. Integral to the wing is an 836 litre (184 imp gal) fuel tank with room for the retractable main landing gear legs. Designed to take a +8/-4 G load, the original requirement was for two under wing stores hardpoints, but Hawker Siddeley designed it with four.

The fuselage design was dirven by the need to get a height differential between the two tandem cockpits, enabling increased visibility for the instructor in the rear seat. Each cockpit is fitted with a Martin-Baker Mk 10B zero-zero rocket-assisted ejection seat. The centre fuselage has an 823-litre (181 imp gal) flexible fuel tank. The two-shaft turbofan Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour engine is fitted in the rear-fuselage with inlets on each side above the forward wing roots. A ram air turbine is fitted just in front of the single fin as well as a gas turbine auxiliary power unit above the engine.

The Hawk entered RAF service in April 1976, replacing the Folland Gnat and Hawker Hunter for advanced training and weapons training. The Hawk T1 ("Trainer Mark 1") was the original version used by the RAF, deliveries commencing in November 1976, with 176 being ordered. From 1983 to 1986, some Hawks were equipped as short-range interceptor aircraft. 88 T1s were modified to carry two AIM-9L Sidewinder air-to-air missiles (AAMs) in addition to the centreline gun pod carrying a 30 mm ADEN cannon. These aircraft were named Hawk T1A. In a war, they would have worked in collaboration with Tornado F3 aircraft, which would use their Foxhunter search radars to vector the radarless Hawks against enemy targets. Such missions would have been flown by instructors. Conversions were completed in 1986. With the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, RAF Hawks were no longer used in this manner. Hawks were used also as "aggressors", simulating air combat with Tornado ADVs. The most famous RAF operator of the Hawk is the Red Arrows aerobatic team, which adopted the plane in 1979.

All Hawks have weapons carrying capability but in June 1984 British Aerospace decided to develop a dedicated, single seat light multi-role fighter for air defense, close air support, battlefield interdiction, maritime support and strike and reconnaissance roles. This became the Hawk 200 and had a redesigned forward fuselage with a Westinghouse APG-66H radar.

Armament
Two to four AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles; ability to carry a centreline gun pod (normally a 30 mm ADEN cannon) and 3000 kg, or 6613 lbs. of additional ordiance on four under-wing pylons. Note: Most Hawks use just two pylons. The RAF has used the under-wing pylons to carry Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.

Operators
United Kingdom; Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Finland, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, United States, Zimbabwe. Most recently (July 2012), the Phillipines announced that the Hawk is under consideration for purchase as part of the modernization program for its Air Force.

The Kit
Italeri's BAE Hawk is a simple yet crisply detailed kit, injected molded in grey and consisting of 87 parts. The cockpit is outfitted with nicely detailed seats which include molded on seat straps, and a pair of instrument panels bearing raised detail. There is also a separately molded hood for the rear instrument panel. The landing gear are highly detailed, however the tires on the main gear, which are separately molded, each have a pair of sinkholes which will have to be filled in and sanded. The same is true for the non-tire portion of the nose gear. There is a two-piece canopy, separately molded air intakes, and eight separately molded small wing fences for the leading edge of the wings. The Hawk bears engraved panel lines, so modelers should have a pleasant time detailing it in the finishing stages. The ordnance provided includes two under-wing drop tanks, four Sidewinder missiles, and an option for a centerline 30mm Aden cannon in a gun pod. The decals are high quality with excellent color, typical of Italeri kits; markings are provided for either a Hawk 100 employed by British Aerospace as a demonstrator aircraft and bearing a camoflage scheme of pale green, wood, and European green over light ghost gray; or a Hawk 100 of the Royal Australian Air Force (unit unidentified) bearing a scheme of light ghost gray and dark ghost gray. The paint legend identifies Model Master colors only.
References